


Jacob's Ladder

by NightlyEchoes



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Comfort, I used the name Melvin because reasons, M/M, Movie Night
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:43:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8438968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightlyEchoes/pseuds/NightlyEchoes
Summary: Glad that he could spent a night without his roommate, Ryou gets ready for a horror movie marathon. But just then a surprise visitor appears.Prompt: Yami Marik gets scared by a horror movie and Ryou needs to comfort him.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nightwing132](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightwing132/gifts).



> “The horror [...] would be in the revelation that hope is hell's final torment, that life is a dream that ends over and over with the final truth: that life was never real, that we are all creatures trapped in eternal suffering and damnation.  
> –Bruce Joel Rubin
> 
> Tsutaya: Japanese equivalent of Blockbuster  
> Arnab (Arabic): Bunny 
> 
> I'm sorry this took so long but I hope you like it.  
> (I might rewrite it in the future)

The irregular flickering of a television illuminated the modern furnished living room while the rest of the vast apartment lay shrouded in total darkness. Night had fallen over Domino City several hours ago, unnoticed by Ryou who just curled up further on the couch, nursing a cup of chocolate milk which could hardly be considered warm anymore.  
It had been supposed to be a calm evening spent alone at home for him, far away from any of the responsibilities which usually annoyed him throughout the day, and he had decided to spend it finally sifting through the unlabelled DVDs which currently lay neatly stacked on the small glass table in front of him. They had been a present of Marik who had apparently snatched them just in time from a closing Tsutaya but, knowing him, it was more likely for them to be stolen.  
To be honest, Ryou didn’t really care. He had new horror movies to watch and was more than ready to ignore the rest of the world for one night. And that included the thieving shenanigans of his roommate and his partner.  
Instead, he busied himself with the current movie which had turned out to be pretty decent so far, even though Ryou had seen a similar story quite often already: a group of teenagers went camping in the woods just to be hunted down by a serial killer. Not his favourite genre but it was good enough for setting the mood.  
As the atmosphere turned intense and the camera focused on the face of one of the girls, Ryou involuntarily drew his legs closer, the cup pressed against the cool tip of his nose as a last defense against the upcoming jumpscare which would most likely cost the blonde’s life.  
‘Behind you,’ was muttered with the slight frustration of someone who has seen this situation once too often, but to no avail. The music died down, leaving Ryou with nothing more than the steady sound of rain hammering against his window until the woman finally turned around. It was too late. Her eyes went wide in fear, showing the true blueness of them for the first and last time as she looked straight at her gruesome demise. The flash of a knife. A loud blood-curdling shriek. Ryou twitched. It was over just as quick as it began. The girl lay in the tall, wet grass while dark patches of blood began to stain her formerly white blouse. Her now empty eyes still stared at something which was by now already long gone.  
Letting out a long sigh, Ryou relaxed again while the murderer slowly made his way back into the darkness. Soon the rest of the group would face a similar fate.  
After they were done living in fear, that was. Scared of every rustling bush. Every sudden movement. Their own reflection in the dark. Afraid of each other for they couldn’t trust anyone anymore. It was, after all, quite likely that the murderer was one of them, perfectly hidden within the group of friends until he was ready to strike once more.  
Ryou snorted. Bakura would really like this movie, he thought bitterly while taking a sip, the drink still sweet on his tongue. He would love it.  
Just as the thought had crossed his mind, the doorbell rang. The sound, being so much closer and so much realer, actually startled him this time, and it was only by sheer luck that he managed it to not spill any chocolate milk over himself. Ryou’s gaze darted to his apartment door as if he expected it to be kicked down any time, his heart thumping wildly against his ribcage. Yet, despite his breathing still coming in quick, shallow breaths, the slightest resemblance of a smile tugged on the corners of his lips as his body came down from the short-lived adrenaline rush.  
This had been the thrill a lot of movies promised but hardly ever delivered and Ryou thoroughly relished finally experiencing it again. Even if it meant dealing with his roommate for the rest of the night later in return. With a heavy sigh, he put down the cup and began to untangle himself from the several layers of blankets he had wrapped around himself. It rang again.  
‘Coming!’ Ryou muttered before repeating himself loud enough to be heard by the other. ‘I’m coming.’ Not wanting to miss too much, he paused the movie and finally made his way to the door. Just like the bloody Candy Man. Say his name three times and he shows up.  
‘Did Marik kick you out already?’ he joked, trying to make it sound as lighthearted as possible but he couldn’t keep his annoyance from seeping through. All he had wanted was one night without the other. Just one. Instead, he found himself fumbling with the lock to let his roommate in again.  
‘I thought you had your keys?’ Ryou asked as he opened the door. But instead of seeing Bakura as he had expected, he found himself face to face with a completely drenched and shivering Marik. His blond hair clung awkwardly to the skin of his neck and dripped onto the freshly cleaned hardwood floor. Something in Ryou’s stomach dropped. This wasn’t right.  
‘I never had keys to your apartment,’ a low voice almost purred while lavender eyes scanned him and their surroundings with an almost predatory interest. Only then did Ryou notice his grave mistake.  
‘Melvin?’  
The tall Egyptian grinned, exposing two rows of sharp, white teeth, and slowly tilted his head to the side in recognition of his name.  
‘Yes?’  
Ryou’s gaze flickered up to the strong hand which had strategically been placed against the door, ready to keep it from closing, before he focused on Melvin’s piercing, lavender eyes again. The colour of them had always strangely fascinated him, and every time Marik came over, he caught himself staring. But his looked almost dull in comparison to Melvin’s. Ryou didn’t know what caused that shine in them but it made his heart pound against his ribs so very differently than the scare he had gotten prior this evening had. Therefore, there was not even an attempt to close the door even though his instincts rebelled violently against his decision. Every nerve in his body was on edge, preparing him for either a fight or flight situation, but Ryou only noticed the pleasant shiver that ran down his back. His racing pulse at his throat.  
I might die, swam through his mind for a short moment before drowning again in a mix of childish fear and excitement. There had been another time in his life when he had felt this way. Years ago, as he had gotten his first Ouija board and attempted to contact his sister. Amane.  
But this was different and he knew it. This wasn’t as simple as contacting lost souls. He was playing with the human embodiment of a forest fire. Dangerous and unpredictable.  
Bakura had done his darndest to keep him away from Melvin and while he might have had a reason for that, Ryou still preferred to make his own acquaintances, thank you very much, and one that was forbidden was twice as interesting. He also deemed himself familiar enough with the darkness of others to know how to handle this situation on his own.  
Ryou leaned lightly against the doorframe and kept looking at the other with genuine interest, not minding being close enough to Marik’s darker half to smell the faint traces of cumin and rain on him.  
‘Why are you here?’ he asked with faked coyness, his voice quiet.  
‘As you guessed correctly I got “kicked out”. Our other halves apparently needed some “time on their own”.’ Melvin’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he studied Ryou, genuinely confused by his strange demeanor which went against everything he was familiar with. Usually, people got uncomfortable around him, scared even, and he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of power that accompanied that. Bakura’s former host, however, appeared hardly fazed by his presence and almost seemed to mock him in his white pyjamas with cute little bunny prints all over them.  
Bunnies were prey, after all, and they had to behave that way. Ryou broke that rule with ease.  
Ryou who, humming in agreement to Melvin’s words, just nodded. He knew too well what the other was talking about even though the thought of Bakura actually minding having someone in hearing range surprised him. Or in seeing range for that matter.  
The memory of that one night as Ryou had walked in on them by accident still made him blush whenever it crossed his mind. They hadn’t stopped even though Bakura had clearly noticed him standing at the door. The playful smirk he had gotten from the other had been a dead giveaway.  
It must have been Marik then, he concluded, trying to force his focus back to his nightly visitor, who still watched him intently.  
‘Why are you here?’ Ryou tried again after clearing his throat. ‘I mean… why my apartment?’  
Melvin chuckled and took a step closer. It was enough that Ryou could feel his warm breath wash over his face in regular intervals. Soft brown eyes met lavender ones. Ryou blinked once, twice, but didn’t look away.  
‘The thief forbid me to come here. I wanted to see what he was hiding. A fluffy little bunny, it seems.’ The animalistic grin was almost audible in Melvin’s voice.  
‘A little…. bunny?’  
‘Yes. Like those that get their furry necks broken.’ Melvin grinned. ‘Why? Are you scared?’  
‘No.’  
Melvin’s focus had shifted a while ago but only now did Ryou become aware of it. He let his gaze follow Melvin’s until he found the source of the other’s current interest: his current clothes. A light blush began to spread across his cheeks. Oh…. Oh no.  
That also explained where he had gotten the comparison from: his bunny pyjamas. Perfect.  
‘I didn’t expect any visitors,’ Ryou muttered. His fingers curled around the hem of his top, kneading the soft fabric out of nervousness.  
‘Obviously.’  
Melvin stepped a little closer but stopped immediately as Ryou, still visibly flustered, moved as well as if they were playing an invisible game of tug o’ war. His tongue darted out to wet his lips before a self-satisfied smirk appeared on his face. He had found out what he needed to know: he was able to irritate Ryou. He just needed to catch him off-guard. Satisfied with his findings, Melvin shifted his attention to the only visible light source in the room behind them. The TV still showed the image of a soon-to-be murdered guy stopped mid-run after having barely escaped the killer if his bloody wounds were an indicator. Needless to say that it attracted Melvin. Blood always did.  
‘What are you watching?’  
Without even waiting for a reply, he pushed past Ryou and strutted over to the living-room where he plopped down on the couch as if he owned it, his eyes glued to the image in front of him.  
Ryou shut the door with a sigh and quickly followed the intruder, not wanting to let him out of eye-sight for too long. He had to regain control of this situation again. Soon.  
‘A horror movie. It’s…. Oh God! Get up! Get up! Get up!’  
Melvin blinked a few times and tilted his head in irritation at the sudden high pitch of Ryou’s voice.  
‘Why should I?’ he asked with an almost natural stubbornness.  
‘You’re getting the couch wet.’  
‘What?’  
‘Couch. Wet. Move! Fuck…’  
As he heard the last word, Melvin began to chuckle which soon ended up in roaring laughter. He grinned at Ryou who had covered his mouth with his hands, visibly surprised by his own outburst.  
‘You sounded like the thief right now. Aren’t you supposed to be the cute one, arnab?’ A smirk still adorned his face as he got up nonetheless, even if it was only to get closer to the other. This was turning out to be rather interesting and Melvin therefore didn’t mind playing along for a bit just to see where it would go. His eyes met Ryou’s and he could almost taste the other’s irritation in the air.  
‘This has nothing to do with him and I would rather not be compared to Bakura, thank you very much,’ Ryou muttered but didn’t avert his gaze. ‘I just would prefer my couch to stay dry.’ He sighed and ran his fingers through his soft hair while thinking about a solution for his current predicament. ‘Just… stay here. Maybe I can find something dry for you to wear. Marik usually keeps some clothes here. As well as shampoos, conditioners, a toothbrush…’  
Rambling on to mostly himself, Ryou quickly disappeared into the dark confines of his apartment, leaving Melvin behind like a lost, wet puppy.  
‘So you want me to stay?’ Melvin asked, slightly surprised by the other’s seemingly acceptance of his presence. ‘Huh, that’s a new one.’ As Ryou didn’t return immediately again, he began to stray around a bit, his hands running over almost every flat surface in search of something he didn’t even know of what it was. Mainly, he just enjoyed the sensation of feeling the different textures of the objects. He stopped at a small dragon figurine and ran his fingers along the spiky back, wondering for a fleeting moment what Ryou felt like.  
‘It’s all I have,’Ryou announced almost apologetically as he came back, carrying a pair of khaki trousers and a fluffy towel in his arms. Melvin turned around, staring at him with the same intensity of a haunted doll before he took the items without a thanks. He simply eyed them for a moment as if to see whether he could trust the other, before he slowly took off his wet shirt, exposing his well-defined muscles to Ryou.  
‘Like what you see?’ Melvin questioned with a smirk as he noticed the other staring at him.  
Ryou swallowed and averted his gaze, the blush slowly returning to his face.  
‘You’re full of yourself. Just like Marik.’  
Melvin snorted. ‘I was a part of him. What did you expect?’  
‘I don’t know,’ Ryou admitted with a shrug, having retreated to his former nest of blankets, his eyes firmly trained on the telly. He didn't need to see the water droplets run down Melvin's well defined muscles. He didn't need to see the way he shook his head before drying his hair with the towel he had been handed. The way he unbuckled his belt. Ryou licked his lips, glad about the blanket covering him.  
Melvin laughed and dried himself with the towel before he put on the new trousers and sat down on the couch again. Now that his hair was drier, it slowly began to defy gravity again, giving him his distinct look which was so much different from Marik’s.  
‘This movie is boring,’ he complained.  
‘I need to… Hold on.’ Ryou pressed play and retreated further into his blanket nest, his whole body tense because of the sexy but downright dangerous Egyptian who had invaded his private space. Shirtless nonetheless. At least, the couch was safe now.  
Melvin spent the next few minutes in silence, strangely fascinated by the gorefest he was presented with. On occasion he began to laugh when the killer got extra creative, which slightly disturbed Ryou who got reminded of his darker half. And not in the good way. They would make a good pair, he thought while watching the other intently.  
Since Melvin didn’t seem to be really interested in harming him, Ryou soon began to relax again. If that desire ever had been there to begin with. Bakura had said something before about him having changed, after all, but he had never gone into detail, just leaving this half-knowledge hanging in the air. However, it had to be enough for Marik to be alright with having him around most of the time.  
After a while, Melvin noticed Ryou staring at him and turned his head to look at him.  
‘What’s the matter, arnab? Getting bored?’  
‘You didn’t hurt me yet.’ The words had left Ryou’s mouth before he was able to think about them properly. He regretted them immediately as Melvin crawled over to him until he was almost on top of him, the blanket being the only thing separating them.  
‘Do you want me to?’  
‘No.’ Ryou shook his head. ‘I’m only curious. You come here just to sit down and watch movies with me. All I’ve heard about you from others is that…’  
‘That I’m dangerous?’  
‘Yes,’ Ryou whispered. His gaze wandered up to Melvin and he swallowed, trying to suppress the inner urge to just slide lower until he was lying underneath the other. He could feel the warmth the other radiated and for some reason, he wanted to lean into it. He should be scared. He should get away but he didn’t want to. But this situation promised him things he hadn’t dared to dream about until now and while he knew that those promises held the same moral value as Bakura’s had so long ago, he still listened to them.  
To be honest, it wasn’t fair. All around him were happy couples and even though he had quite a lot of female ‘fans’, no one of them held his interest in that way. Bakura, on the other hand, had Marik and as long as they weren’t in public, they had no problems showing it.  
Ryou knew that he shouldn’t have these thoughts while in the presence of Marik’s darker half, but here he was. Starved of company that he even sought out the presence of his potential demise.  
‘You’re different than the others,’ Melvin interrupted his train of thought. ‘You’re not scared of me. The thief isn’t either but he just pisses me off.’  
‘What about Marik? You live with him.’  
Melvin sighed and sat up, not caring that he was technically straddling the smaller boy’s hips.  
‘Sometimes, he still flinches when I move and he doesn’t expect it. He keeps watching me almost all the time. Unless your demon keeps him busy.’ He smirked slightly.  
Ryou licked his lips, knowing fully well what the other meant by that. And Melvin’s weight on top of him didn’t help. At all. He shifted slightly.  
‘So, little arnab….’ The word was spoken with a mixture of vile and predatory hunger. ‘Why aren’t you scared of the big bad wolf?’  
‘I’ve lived with one for years.’ Ryou smiled sheepishly. ‘You need to step up your game a little to rival him.’  
‘I can outdo the thief at any given time,’ Melvin snarled but before he could say anything else a rock song, which played in the background, signalled the ending of the movie and attracted both Ryou’s and Melvin’s attention temporarily.  
‘Do you want to watch another one?’ Ryou muttered as he felt Melvin withdraw. The extra warmth left with him and Ryou shivered despite being huddled into blankets.  
‘Yes.’  
Ryou nodded and untangled himself again, so he could sift through the stack of DVDs. Due to them being unlabelled, he had no idea what the next movie was going to be. While he hoped for a creepy ghost movie, he was fairly certain that Melvin would prefer a more gore-y one similar to the slasher they had just watched, but in the end it didn’t matter. What they got was pure chance.  
Ryou returned to the couch and sat down with his legs crossed while he waited for the movie to start. The title that flashed on the screen didn’t ring a bell for him which was good in his book. It also didn’t look like a very gruesome if the menu picture was an indicator. He wrapped his blanket around him again and got ready. Melvin next to him shuffled a little but soon settled down as well.  
The movie began harmless enough, a guy who had served and been wounded during the Vietnam War, now tried to live a normal life as a postman. He lived together with his girlfriend Jezebel, his first marriage lying in shambles. One of his sons had died in an accident.  
But it became pretty obvious that something was off. Every now and then he encountered things which just got weirder as time went on, and soon Ryou was sitting on the edge of the couch, his brown eyes shining with excitement. He had found the source of some of the things he had loved.  
At one moment he pointed out excitedly that one of those effects they had used in the movie was the origin for the infamous Silent Hill head-twitch (he had played through the whole series with Bakura once, neither of them had gotten much sleep at that time). At another one he explained the symbolisms for death to Melvin. It was unusual for him to talk so much but this wasn’t one of his usual horror movies during which he just had to sit back and enjoy. There was not a haunted object causing any disturbance, there wasn’t a serial killer seeking revenge for something that happened thirty years ago. He had no idea what was going on. With every scene the story got taken into a slightly different direction. Was he dreaming? Did his life actually exist? Was it the result of a military drug experiment? Was he dead? Ryou loved it. Especially since he had someone else to enjoy it with.  
After a while, Ryou got distracted by Melvin noticeable shivering next to him. He glanced to the side to see the other stare at the tv with a blank expression. Ryou furrowed his brows and watched him for a while before he tentatively scooted closer until their bodies were almost touching and he could wrap his blanket around him as well, careful to not let it rub too much against the scars on his back. He knew how sensitive Marik was when it got to them and he didn’t want to distress Melvin in any way. If they had the same size, he would have given him a shirt of his own but as it was this would be the best he could do. Melvin looked at him for a moment as he was touched but didn’t react otherwise and just turned his attention back to the movie. Nevertheless, the shivering soon ceased after Ryou lightly wrapped an arm around his waist.  
They didn’t speak during the rest of the movie and neither of them moved until Ryou felt Melvin tense up at his side.  
‘Do you want me to stop the movie?’  
Melvin shook his head and shoved Ryou’s hand away. The shared space was gone as he moved away.  
‘I’m fine,’ he hissed. A little hitch in his voice at the last syllable told Ryou that he was lying. It felt weird to see Melvin, out of all people, like this. So human.  
‘Melvin?’ His prior excitement about the move was completely gone as he finally recognised the other’s expression. He let his gaze flicker back to the television where Louis had just finished quoting Eckhardt to the protagonist, Jakob Singer:  
“The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won’t let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they’re not punishing you,” he said. “They’re freeing your soul. So, if you’re frightened of dying and ... you’re holding on, you’ll see devils tearing your life away. But if you’ve made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth.”  
Ryou stopped the movie, the words still hanging heavy in the air as he hesitantly reached up to caress Melvin's cheek. He felt a slight wetness against the back of his fingers and wanted to draw back in surprise. For a moment he just stared at the Egyptian with a mix of shock and disbelief.  
It didn’t make sense. Melvin crying? Why?  
But then it dawned on Ryou and the realisation hit him like a truck going beyond speed-limit. Just like Jacob Singer was caught in an existential limbo, Melvin had no idea what was going on with his life either. He had never been someone before unlike Bakura to whom the soul of a notorious Thief King clung like tar. No, he had been a literal part of Marik and even though neither of them wanted to admit it, they completed each other. They were whole.  
On his own, he was hardly more than a soul fragment thrusted into a human vessel. Confused. Lost. Damned to the Shadows until Ryou had dragged him out. Even Bakura had appeared unstable afterwards but he has had Marik to get back on track. But Melvin? He hadn’t even had a name.  
‘I know how the Shadow Realm can be. But let me reassure you, this is not a dream. This is real.’ He leaned in to properly hug the other, not caring about whether he touched the scars or not at this moment. ‘I’m real.’  
The only thing that burns are your memories.  
With the lightest touch, Ryou traced the relief of the scarred skin on Melvin’s back. It was easy to make out the hieroglyphics, the Gods, the wings at each side of the sun. He heard the other let out a shaky breath.  
Your attachments.  
The part that won’t let go of life.  
Ryou tightened the embrace. He had managed it to let someone else relieve his trauma while he, himself, had gushed over effects and theories. To say that he felt bad was an understatement. He didn’t even notice how close they were as he told himself over and over that this would have never happened to him with Marik. But then didn’t it happen with Marik? In a way?  
‘What if you're like Jezzie? She seemed real…’  
‘I don't sleep with demons,’ he answered absentmindedly.  
His response drew a weak chuckle from Melvin.  
‘I wouldn't be so sure about that.’  
Ryou tilted his head to the side, frowning slightly. A rebellious strand of blond hair tickled his cheek.  
‘I never slept with Bakura.’  
Melvin laughed, his voice still slightly husky from crying.  
‘I didn't say his name.’ He turned his head as well, his red-rimmed eyes widening slightly in surprise as he noticed just how close they truly were.  
Ryou smiled and gently blew against Melvin's nose, giggling as he scrunched it in return. It seemed like such an innocent gesture to him and almost…. Adorable?  
‘I’m not dead,’ Melvin muttered almost as stubborn as Singer had in the movie.  
‘No.’  
‘I was, though.’  
Ryou shook his head. ‘You were sent to the Shadow Realm. That’s different. And I got you back. You and Bakura. You’re both here with us. With me and Marik.’ He lightly reached up to press his hand against his chest, feeling his heart thumb steady. ‘Alive.’  
Melvin lowered his gaze and pulled away from the embrace. His voice uncharacteristically low.  
‘Bakura had a life before this. It would only make sense for him to come back, but…. Me?’ He shook his head. ‘I’m only a shadow of Marik’s personality. A part he suppressed. A part he didn’t want. Still doesn’t want.’  
‘I want you,’ Ryou protested before he could even think twice about what he had just said.  
Lavender eyes sought brown ones and Ryou saw surprise and confusion turn into something more sinister within seconds. It made him reel back but he got entangled in his blankets and landed ungracefully on his back. Melvin snorted. It sounded sad. Defeated.  
‘That’s what I expected.’ He crawled back on top of Ryou, taking fully advantage of his current position, and looked down on him. ‘You’re not different, arnab. Just a bit more stupid.’  
Ryou furrowed his brows in confusion, his chest rising and sinking with every breath he took.  
‘I could have kicked you out way earlier. I didn’t need to give you dry clothes. Yet, I did. You deserved this chance I gave you and you took it.’  
‘You sought the thrill of danger,’ Melvin corrected him, baring his teeth as he spoke. ’I saw it in your eyes and I see it now again.’  
‘You’re right about the first one but this is different.’ Ryou’s voice was barely audible as he spoke and he turned his head to the side so that he didn’t have to look a the other. He reached up to run his fingers through Melvin’s hair before he wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him close. The action caught Melvin off-guard and he followed the motion until he lay on top of Ryou with all his weight, unsure on what to do next.  
Ryou sighed, actually enjoying the weight on him, and tentatively began to stroke the other’s sides, feeling the muscles twitch slightly under his fingertips. In the beginning he avoided getting close to the scars but as Melvin relaxed under the touch, he became bolder.  
Melvin let out a shuddering sigh as Ryou stroked his scars once more with a delicacy he had never felt before.  
‘Shall I stop?’  
‘Gods, no. Please…’ Not once in his life had he been touched like that and he’d be damned if he let the other stop now. ‘Feels so good…’ He closed his eyes and simply focused on the hand which trailed up and down his spine and made him shiver before stopping at the waistline of his trousers just to make its way back up again, exploring, rubbing, stroking. Melvin sighed.  
‘I could help you feel real,’ Ryou whispered suddenly.  
Melvin lifted his head and looked down at the other. Just as he wanted to ask ‘how’, Ryou pressed his soft lips against Melvin’s, hesitant at first but soon more demanding. Melvin didn’t kiss back at first, surprised by the feeling, but quickly gave in to his instincts. He had no idea what he was doing and Ryou could tell, but it didn’t matter to him. Ryou was lost in the feeling of being close to someone. Melvin’s taste, smell, warmth. Strong arms sneaking themselves around him. Pulling him close. Ryou buried his hand into the other’s mane, the kiss getting more aggressive as he tightened his grip on his hair. Melvin moaned in pain and bit down. Hard.  
A quiet yelp made him withdraw immediately and he looked for the cause. Thin lines of crimson red blood ran down Ryou’s lip and onto his chin.  
‘Arnab…’  
A wet tip of a tongue appeared between his pink lips and licked up the blood before disappearing again behind sharp, white teeth. Brown eyes, darkened by lust, were half-hidden behind long white lashes. He smirked and in this moment, Melvin didn’t know whether it was actually Ryou in front of him or the thief.  
Ryou closed the distance again, his grip looser now, and closed his eyes. Melvin tasted copper and chocolate and kissed back. A tight feeling spread in his chest and Melvin wanted to pull away but Ryou held him in place. Ryou, who arched up against him, sighing softly, before trying to push him onto his back. Melvin complied and let the smaller one change their positions. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

‘Don’t push me, you idiot.’  
Marik rested his head on Bakura’s shoulder and grinned manically. His arms quickly found their way around Bakura’s waist and he pressed himself against the warm body in front of him.  
‘You didn’t mind it a few minutes ago,’ he breathed against the other’s skin before licking along his neck. ‘You were quite excited.’ Marik chuckled and let his whole weight crash against Bakura, which in his drunk mind proved his point. In reality, however, it just shoved Bakura against the apartment door with a loud thud.  
‘Fuck off!’ Bakura hissed as he tried to shove his ass against Marik’s crotch with enough force to get him off his back. Marik moaned. Not in pain.  
‘You know what I like,’ the Egyptian purred and began to cover Bakura’s neck with kisses. His hands quickly found their way under the other’s shirt where they began to caress Bakura’s sides, his cool fingertips almost driving the thief insane.  
‘You’re insatiable.’  
‘You made me like this.’  
‘You were always like this, Ishtar.’  
Marik sighed and stopped his teasing, returning to his prior position. He subtly nuzzled Bakura’s neck while he tried to focus on what the other was doing.  
‘You’re the worst thief I’ve ever seen. Can’t even pick a crappy lock.’  
Bakura stopped mid-movement, his eyes narrowing.  
‘I would be done already if I didn’t have a completely wasted tomb keeper on my back.’  
‘We wouldn’t have this problem, if you just had your damn keys.’  
‘I forgot them!’  
‘You always do!’  
‘Fuck off!’  
With a soft ‘click’ the lock of the door snapped open and Bakura let out the most satisfied sigh he had all evening.  
‘Did you just come?’ Marik sounded almost disappointed.  
‘Well, one of us has to take care of that. Now get off! I don’t want to be here all night.’  
For once Marik listened and pulled back, staggering slightly.  
‘And be quiet for fucks sake. Ryou might appear innocent but if you wake him up in the middle of the night, he’ll make the Shadow Realm look like a weekend trip to Disney World.’  
After checking whether the coast was clear, both of them slipped inside the dimly lit apartment. Marik made sure to stay close to Bakura and to keep his voice down.  
‘Have you ever been there?’  
‘Where?’  
‘Disney World…’  
Bakura sighed and turned left with the ease of someone who had gotten used to maneuver around in the pitch black darkness out of a necessity.  
‘No. Just heard Mutou ramble about it one day. Don’t tell me you want to go.’  
As he didn’t get an answer, Bakura stopped and turned around. Marik still stood in the middle of the hallway, his skin appearing almost pale from the light of the television which was still turned on and played the menu title of some movie on repeat. His eyes were wide as if he had seen a ghost.  
‘Marik!’ Bakura hissed, trying to stay as quiet as possible.  
‘He’s… here.’  
Bakura furrowed his brows in confusion but walked back to where Marik stood and stared into the direction the other was pointing.  
At first he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Ryou had obviously fallen asleep in front of the TV during one of his infamous horror marathons. It happened more often than he would like to admit and on several occasions Bakura joined him on the couch at some point.  
It was only as he stepped closer that he noticed the discarded trousers on the floor. The fact that the bump underneath the blanket was too big to be just Ryou. The hair.  
‘Melvin,’ Marik whispered. ‘Why is he here?’  
Bakura sneaked closer to the couch, careful to not make a sound, and was greeted by the sight of both, Ryou and Melvin, in a tight embrace and sound asleep. Whenever the TV screen lightened up a bit more, he could see the faint smile tugging on Ryou’s lips. He carefully tugged them in, halting for a dreadful moment as his former host moved to nuzzle Melvin’s cheek, before returning to Marik.  
‘My landlord found himself a boyfriend it seems. He’s okay. So let’s grab your damn night light and go back home.’


End file.
